We All, Insecure
by Aseru
Summary: AU,Multi-Piece Work; "'How would you know,' I asked him almost angry- but my voice so straight and tight that it surprised the anger right from me. And then he gave me this look, that told me he did know." Rating will change.


_Heya, again, Naruto-verse._

_This is a second 'We All...' piece. Though I probably should have posted this one first, 'cause it shows a bit of how they all meet. And I probably should mention I only mean for them to seem like Close Friends- platonic kind... Don't freak._

_The couple is in Brackets- though if you found this there, a good chance you're reading for them. Anyway, enjoy- or just don't.. It's all good._

**Disclaimer:** I'm a lazy, two-pint writer, who owns nothing of value, and works full-time at a grocery store. (LopsidedGrin)

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><p><em><strong>We All..<br>Insecure**_

[Gaara X Hinata]

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><p>I knew it right then- when on the Thursday of the second week of my Sophomore year, Choji pulled the new guy over to our lunch table- that something was going to change.<p>

"Hey guys," Choji told us instantly, plopping his tray down, himself and then pulling New Guy down next to him. "This is Shikamaru."

"Yeah," Naruto threw in instantly, bits of his sandwich fumbling out of his mouth as he spoke, "You're in my first period English." Shikamaru nodded back with a sight smile.

"Yeah," he replied easily, folding his arms where he should have put his tray and laying his head on them sleepily, "You're the one who always yells the wrong answers."

He didn't comment on Naruto's smile, Sasuke's single word vocabulary, my stutter, Shino's glasses or Kiba's overly large canines. He didn't seem to notice Ino's goo-goo eyes or Sakura as she over scrutinized Naruto and Sauske's hushed fight about pretzels- _sticks vs. twists_. Or even how Choji ate his lunch, the final bits of Kiba's tray, and the last half of mine.

_He __fits_, I remember thinking.

In every part that I saw him, Shikamaru seemed to _fit_ with us- our friends, our school, our lives. He never seem to mind that Naruto and Sasuke were together- "They're happy- why should that bother me?" He was civil to everyone- even Ino, except when she tried to touch him too much.

Shikamaru was a grade above me, in the same as Shino, Choji, and Ino. But it still felt like whenever we'd all hang out outside of school, he was on the same level as us. He was pretty smart, though he admittedly never applied himself- so his grades were so-so.

We all noticed, though, that some days were better for him than others- Ino got overly affected, because she "cared". He never seemed to pay mind to how she fawned over him, as long as she never got physically clingy. I did notice that some afternoons or weekends he seemed to have a tendency to just disappear.

We had Biology class together, sixth period. And I hadn't gotten to learn much about him, until at the end of the first quarter, when we had a partner project. We had to work outside of class, and he simply told me to come over. So I did- after a long conversation with my over protective father.

The Nara household was a lot larger than I thought it should have been, especially when he told me that it was just him and his parents. His mother made us snacks while we worked on the living room floor. The poster happened fast, the notes he typed up seemed to work out even faster and after three hours maybe, the project that out teacher had told us may take a few days was done. Poster, fliers, pamphlet and three and a half page paper- and with a sigh, he put it all in a pile and flopped onto the couch and with a sigh told me how much of a drag that had been.

I laughed. And I caught him smiling, "I've never heard you laugh before." And then I blushed before Yoshino came out with a glass of tea for both of us and asked me if I was staying for dinner. Shikamaru didn't let me say no. Yoshino looked at him oddly. He just smiled at her a bit and shook his head.

We sat on the back porch playing chess on an old board for a while before he forced on another moments where things changed. "Why do you seem so worried most of the time?" It caught me off guard. Shikamaru may not seem like it, but he takes notice of everything around him.

It took three games of chess, but I was able to explain to him about my father, about his expectations, about his company name and how that "was all going to me mine one day."

"Bullshit," he told me right after repeating it to me with the clarity of living it. But the way he said it made me really feel like it was- like it could be simple, but I'd just _let_ it get complicated.

"How would you know," I asked him almost angry- but my voice so straight and tight that it surprised the anger right from me. And then he gave me this look, that told me he did know.

"Because you wouldn't be the first person who's over-complicated their life." And then his eyes were back on the board and he moved his knight like it was just that easy. I wanted to know what that meant- I wanted to question him. But something told me to just not. I realized my king was in check just as Yoshino called us for dinner.

Shikamaru's dad was just like him. Seemed lazy, but they had the same eyes that said he could see every wrong in me. And as we sat down to dinner, I realized that even their dining room table, with me there even, had four chairs too many. Yoshino's kitchen looked like something out a restaurant- stainless steel and wood. But there were too many couches in the living room and too many bedrooms up stairs for just the three of them alone. The only thing that didn't fit well with Shikamaru was his home. Everything there was _too __much_.

And I noticed after that, Shikamaru only invited me to his house. He never suggested that anyone come, for any reason- and when he missed school, or skipped, he would ask me to get his assignments for him and drop them off if I could. And when I did, Yoshino would always ask me to stay for dinner, and we'd play chess on the overly large back porch, the overlooked the overly large back yard. And I didn't understand him for only those reasons.

I told him. His response was to smirk at me.

"Are you _demanding_ to know why?"

"I'm asking," I corrected weakly, knowing that only while we were talking over a chess board that my stutter would ease.

"Don't ask," he told me suddenly. And I could feel that odd anger flair again.

"Why shouldn't I?" And his smirk grew.

"Are you demanding now?" And I met his eyes and knew this was the point. "You're a good person, Hinata- with a good heart that's in all the right places." I could feel myself blush. "I think you just need someone to remind you of that, every now and then." And he was grinning right then, and I wondered how many of these moments would happen, sitting at the chess board on his back porch, before I would take was he was trying to teach me to heart.

Three apparently, and things started to change. I told my father more of what I was thinking, and I was able to help my little sister through boy troubles for the first time. Our friends noticed the changes, and how we got closer. Ino didn't seem to like it- but how Shikamaru acted toward her didn't change with or without me there. He said he didn't care about her, not like that. "She's a nice person, most of the time. But I'd honestly never be interested in a person like her. She's too showy."

"What kind of p-person are, you interested in, then?" I realized that it probably came out wrong- I knew he wasn't interested in me; somehow I knew that. But I'd never gotten the feeling that Shikamaru was interested in anyone. He stopped and looked at me, and I think he knew exactly what I meant, though if any one else had heard our conversation, they probably wouldn't have.

"The one who already knows I love her," he told me.

And it hit me that I still knew so little about him- because as he said that, his eyes were so sad, so resigned, that I wondered if this person loved him too.

It was April of my sophomore year before I learned more about him. Spring break was only a week an a half away, I remember, and one morning on my way to school, my cell phone began to ring. I answered after seeing Shikamaru's name flash over the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Hinata," it was a woman's voice that answered back. I realized it was Yoshino as she continued to speak. "I was wondering if you would please pick up Shikamaru's assignments for me, for the next few days? We're having a bit of a," There was a noticeable pause, as she choose the next word, "_Family_ emergency."

"O-of course," I didn't dare comment on the wordage. She thanked me and told me that Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, would stop by to pick up for me if it took much longer than she expected right then.

It did. Shikamaru didn't come back to school before spring break let out.

On the Tuesday of the week we had off though, he stopped over suddenly. He looked tired, exhausted honestly- but he took the school work and thanked me, and we stood on my porch, just stood there- because I could tell he wanted to say something else.

"Hinata," I nodded, "Would you help me with something?" The sheepish smile on his face made me pause before I agreed and then I walked with him back to his house.

And all the sudden, Shikamaru's house seemed to fit so much better. From the third car in the no-longer-too-large driveway, to the five people who now suddenly lived here. Walking in the front door, the closet in the entryway, where we left our shoes, suddenly seemed fuller. The living room looked more lived in- a few new blankets spread out on the cushions, a new laptop set out on the coffee table. In the kitchen, there was a messenger bag on the back of one of the chairs. There were books piled on one of the usually clear end tabled, next to the back door. And more than that, there was someone standing with Yoshino in the kitchen, and his larger, but still teenage frame made the kitchen seem much more… _right_.

"He fits," I heard myself say and looking at Shikamaru leaning on the entry door next to me, seeming him smile a bit brighter than I'd seen before, I understood that he already knew.

"Oh, you're home," Yoshino called seeing us looking into the room. And she smiled at both of us and then her eyes settled fully on me, "And Hinata came over."

The taller guy, who as he turned to look at me, I realized wasn't much older, just a bit taller than me. He had a darker complexion, darker hair and dark, dark brown eyes. He probably would have looked quite plain, if not for the fact that his lip was pierced and I could make out the faded line of brown eyeliner around his eyes- but neither made him seem dangerous, just interesting. And with the black basketball shorts with a silver stripe up the side, and the simple black tank top, he looked rather scraggy.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied simply making his way into the kitchen, and I did notice he was just shorter than this new person. "Hina, this is Kankuro Sabaku. Kankuro, Hinata Hyuuga." We nodded to each other and I watched the black ring in his lip as it pulled back against his upper lip as he tried to smile. Shikamaru was at the back door before he looked back at me, "Chess?" And I felt myself roll my eyes before following him outside.

But once out, I stopped again. Because laying completely flat on one of the chairs on the deck, was another new someone. His complexion seemed a bit lighter than Kankuro's, and his hair was a bright red that nearly hurt my eyes in the bright sun light. "And this is Gaara Sabaku, the younger one," Shikamaru introduced, as Gaara cracked open a bright blue eye, and Shikamaru continued to the table. "Gaara, this is Hinata Hyuuga- be civil."

And I felt him look over at me, I watched him watch me for a second before he glanced at where Shikamaru was setting up the chess game under the canopy, to the other side of the deck- and then his eyes slid shut again and he seemed to go back to sleep. I quickly went to join Shikamaru at the table.

"He's quite," was all he offered, as I looked between the two. All through the first game, I kept feeling those odd blue eyes watching me- or us- though I never turned to look. "You wanna play, bud," Shikamaru suddenly called to the other side of the deck and his question was met with an immediately indigent hum. Shikamaru chuckled.

But I noticed that Shikamaru even wasn't quite right. He usually seemed lazy and slow to respond though always attentive. We played three games before we'd usually finish one. We didn't talk. I didn't win. Shikamaru seemed awake- it was alarming.

But I jumped as suddenly Gaara sunk into the chair to my right, between Shikamaru and I. "Do you mind if he plays the next one Hina," Shikamaru asked me and I shook my head.

I watched. It was face paced, but they both had definite strategies- Gaara kept up with him easily. The red head won the first game, either way. And then, they started the next, and Gaara spoke. His voice wasn't what I expected- soft but defiant. "What are they making," he asked. And Shikamaru hummed for a second, taking his turn.

"Potato soup, I think. Mom mentioned something about it earlier." Gaara merely nodded. "You are staying, right Hinata?" And I looked up from the board to see Shikamaru looking at me and Gaara glance at me before looking back down and taking his turn.

"Do I have a choice," I had to ask him back, and I saw both of them smirk oddly. Gaara discreet and Shikamaru's quickly turning into a grin.

"Always," he replied, but neither of us bothered to continued the conversation. By the time they decided to start their third game I stood, telling them I'd be back and moved back inside. I smiled at Kankuro and Yoshino who were still cooking and chopping things before moving toward the stairs. I knew from experience that the first floor bathroom would have no toilet paper, because Shikaku and Shikamaru always forgot to put new in there.

But when I got upstairs, it even seemed better even there. Walking down the hall I noted that there were boxes and bags and new things in two of the usually unused rooms. And I smiled.

"They fit."

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><p><em>So, this is how they'll all meet- which will eventually cause all of the 'We All...' piece to happen.<em>

_(Grins) If you have anything to point out, be it good or constructive, please do with a review. Nasty's not needed. (Smiles) Have a good morning, afternoon, day or night!_

_And thanks for reading,_  
><em>-Aseru<em>


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